1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved auxiliary seat assembly for use in vehicles, and more particularly to an auxiliary seat assembly which is foldably installed at the lateral or rear portion of the cab of a vehicle such as truck or the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore, various many auxiliary seat assemblies of this kind have been proposed, one of which will be described as an example with reference to FIG. 1. The auxiliary seat assembly (will be referred to as "the seat" hereinafter) is installed at the lateral or rear portion of the cab of a vehicle such as truck, and it is used as follows.
For example, in case two drivers ride in the cab of a truck on duty for a long-distance transport and they drive it in shifts day and night, one of them can take a nap or rest on the seat while the other is driving. While not used, the seat can be folded along the body panel 8 for effective use of the space in the truck cab. The seat comprises a seat cushion 3 and seat back 5. The seat cushion 3 is pivotably mounted on a pair of brackets 7 installed on the floor 6 at the rear or lateral portion of the cab, the seat back 5 being fixed to the body panel 8. As mentioned above, when the seat is not used, the seat cushion 3 can be pivoted toward the seat back 5 until it is superposed on the seat back 5, namely, to an upright position in which the seat cushion 3 can be held as folded by means of a hook, for example. Thus, the space in the cab can be effectively used. When using the seat, the seat cushion 3 is pivoted reversely and supported almost horizontally by means of a stay 9 so that one can seat or lay himself on it.
As mentioned above, the seat cushion 3 is pivotally supported on the brackets 7 installed on the floor at the lateral or rear portion of the cab. The brackets 7 supporting the seat cushion 3 have a relatively large volume and so a part of the cab space is occupied by the massive brackets. Therefore, even if the seat cushion 3 is folded to the seat back 5, the brackets 7 on the floor 6 make it difficult to effectively use the space in the cab. When the seat cushion 3 is folded, not only the whole seat but the brackets 7 as well as the pivoting mechanisms are visible, causing the cab interior to esthetically be degraded. Further, since the brackets 7 remain fixed after the seat cushion 3 is folded to the seat back 5, no baggages or the like can be put on the cab floor.